
The legend of El Demonio Negro, the Black Demon, has persisted for as long as people entered the waters of the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, between the Baja Peninsula and the state of Sonora. For those who tell the tale, the Black Demon is said to be a shark as long as a school bus, reaching lengths of 50 feet or more. Its skin is as black as midnight and piercing eyes that were somehow even darker. It overturns boats, attacks whales and swallows entire groups of sea lions in a single bite. Those who have seen it, describe a long, whip-like tail that can be seen churning waves at the surface.